Hey Archie sweetie...Pisanu was just talking about you and your blog the other day. I haven't checked it out yet. But I promise, soon sweetie. Thank you for all your comments and shring here, smart babe *giggles*

And Jowell...OMG! Thank you! If it has been a year, then you know how Pisanu, Morgan and moi looks like? *lol*

you're right. well, i've never been really inside a museum (unless you count wax museums from diff cities i've been to), but that was it. i've only been to manila's national museum once, in 5th grade on our field trip.

i disagree with anonymous' bashing of the thai national museum. the architecture alone was kick-a**!

I've never been to the National Museum if I be honest so I am not sure what is inside. Maybe part of my PROBINSYANO side ( rural folk). On this note, I am complete ignorant about it. Based on the outside appearance though, I would agree that the one in Brunei is very disappointing. I just hope they got all the good stuffs inside.....

I've been to the national museums of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand - and they're great in different ways. Singapore is the most comfy and modern, I guess. Malaysia has the most amazing collection. Thailand is quite mesmerizing, the architecture alone is worth visiting.

As for Indonesia, I think our museum is comparable to those I've mentioned above - our collection are very valuable but most stuff in the old building (especially the stone statues) are scattered and treated like garbage...I just wish they would build nice displays and proper lightings to display those gorgeous statues. The new building is modern and comfy, but it's mostly EMPTY and still under construction since yearsss ago. tsk, tsk.

hi!I've been checking your blogs almost everyday since last year. I find it informative and entertaining (especially the rantings haha). Nice blog and keep going! Oh by the way, I am wondering if you already have something about our southeast asian lighthouses? Perhaps they could also be intresting.

I honestly think that my country's (Indonesia) national museum is the butt-ugliest. It's not even considered one of the best museums in Asia. but perhaps you should find out what the old building looks like (The one in Pisanu's post is the new building), the old building is much better looking (built by the Dutch). But it's still ugly, IMHO. The only thing that beautifies the facade of our national museum is the bronze elephant statue which is a gift from King Chulalongkorn of Thailand for the people of Batavia (Jakarta) in the 19th century!

Speaking of the Dutch, I'm going to have to say this - why oh why, of all the mighty European countries in the world, must the DUTCH colonized us? They have no sense of aesthetics in architecture (in their colonies only, not in their own country)! The Dutch are strict observer of the "Nieuw-Zakelijk" style, which is a strictly utilitarian style - no excessive need for aesthetics, straightforward style. As a result, Jakarta's old European-style buildings are nothing in comparison to those found in Malaysia and Singapore (in terms of beauty). Malaysia and Singapore was colonized by the rich and prosperous Britain, and Vietnam was colonized by the uber-chic French (their colonial buildings are gorgeous!)

Why oh why!!! I wish the Brits colonized us instead!

HOWEVER...mind you...do you know that our national museum is in fact, one of the ugliest museums in Indonesia? There are lots of other museums that are much prettier, such as the Bank of Indonesia Museum, and the museum in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah that looks like a Balinese temple...

the national museum of the philippines served as the venue for the miss earth competition.. i forgot what year it was but it was nice.. the ayala museum focuses on modern art/ artifacts(whatever you call it and it has a magnificent diorama of philippine history.

the Nat'l Museum (Phi), the Nat'l Museum of the Filipino people and National Art Gallery are independent institution. The NMFP & NAG are (I think so) under restoration. The NM I visited back in high school was the one in the P. Burgos..(the one in the PhP50)

Top 3 museums, not in any order. Indonesia National, Cambodia National and Sarawak Museum. The Viet Nam National Museum has a great collection but needs to be displayed better. The Philippine National Museum needs to have a more cohesive collection.